Doffing device for spinning and like textile machines



A. C. MAS

Nov. 28, 1961 DOFFING DEVICE FOR SPINNING AND LIKE TEXTILE MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 24, 1959 INVENTOR. Away/0 [MMHZ m BY Nov. 28, 1961 A. c. MAS 3,010,272

DOFFING DEVICE FOR SPINNING AND LIKE TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Dec. 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

4mm; Lil/mm 4/45 BY NOV. 28, 1961 MAS 3,010,272

DOFFING DEVICE FOR SPINNING AND LIKE TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Dec. 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 25% W H 93V IN V EN TOR. Ami/w 54/1/4051! 4/4; BY

United States Patent 3,010,272 DOFFING DEVICE FOR SPINNING AND LIKE TEXTILE MACHINES Antonio Canadell Mas, Avenida Jose Antonio 727, Barcelona, Spain Filed Dec. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 861,921 Claims priority, application Spain Jan. 13, 1959 Claims.v (Cl. 57-52) The present invention relates to a dotfing device for spinning and like textile machines of the kind comprising a plurality of parallel spindles arranged side-by-side in a row, said dofling device having a plurality of first members carried by a movable element extending parallel to said row, said first members being adapted releasably to retain cop formers, the first members being arranged upon displacement of said element to place cop formers on the spindles, said dofiing device also having a plurality of second members which are carried by a shaft arranged parallel to said row, the second members being provided with cop engaging means and being movable upon displacement of said shaft in such manner that they can releasably engage and remove full cops from the spindles.

According to the present invention, the dofiing device comprises a plurality of uprights, said shaft being carried on the lower parts of said uprights and said movable element being mounted on the upper parts of the same uprights for movement along said upper parts, the arrangement being such that in use cop formers are fitted to said first members when the movable element is at an elevated position, the movable element then being lowered to present the cop formers to the spindles, and the movable element being subsequently returned to said elevated position, the cop formers remaining on the spindles.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into efiect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a part of a dofiing device constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the part of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 3 to 6 are elevations partly in section of details of the device shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURES 7 to show schematically the sequence of operations of the device shown in FIGURES 1 to 6.

Referring to the drawings, the frame of a spinning machine is provided with a number of vertical uprights 1 which are spaced apart from one another along one side of the frame and form part of a doling device. The spinning machine is provided with a bobbin rail 2, spindles 15 and a creel 30, the uprights 1 extending to a point higher than the top of the creel 30. Each of the uprights 1 comprises an inner cylindrical member co-axially surrounded by an outer tubular cover. A lower portion of the inner cylindrical member is provided with a toothed rack 3 extending for such a distance that it is higher than the bobbin rail 2, a corresponding longitudinal aperture being provided in the tubular cover adjacent the rack 3.

A box 9 is associated with each of the uprights 1 and can move up and down the associated upright 1 under the action of a transmission arrangement comprising a shaft 8 rotatably mounted therein, a portion of the shaft 8, protruding from the box 9, being provided with a handle 10, whilst a portion of the shaft 8 within the box 9 is provided with a worm 7 which engages with a helical gear 6 having a spindle 5, to which is rigidly secured a gear wheel 4 which passes through the aperture on the tubular cover of the associated upright 1 and engages with the rack 3. A common spindle 11 disposed between the boxes 9 and the machine frame is rotatably secured to an abutment lCC provided on each of the boxes 9, the common spindle '11 being rotatable by means of a handle 17.

t The common spindle 11 is provided with a number of radial arms 12 which together support a longitudinal member 13 provided with rings 14 disposed in alignment so that each ring 14 is associated with a corresponding spindle 15. The central plane of each of the rings 14 is perpendicular to the bobbin rail 2 and coincides with the central plane perpendicular to the bobbin rail and the corresponding spindle 15, the rings 14 being so spaced from the corresponding spindle 15 that upon rotation of the common spindle 11 each of the rings 14 moves into position so that it is disposed co-axially above the corresponding spindle 15. The inside diameter of the rings 14 is slightly greater than the outer diameter to which cops 31 are wound on the spindles 15. The inner surfaces of the rings 14 are provided with a number of spring-loaded pointed penetrating members 16, the spring-loading biasing the members 16 towards the centre of the rings 14, the degree of bias being limited by abutments provided on the members 16.

The tubular cover of each of the uprights 1 has a chain 22 disposed within it, the chain 22 passing over a freely rotatable pinion 19 mounted in the top of the upright 1 and over -a further rotatable pinion 19" mounted in the base of the upright 1. A common spindle 20 is rigidly secured to each of the pinions 19' mounted in the uprights 1, a handle 21 being provided to rotate the common spindle 20. A bracket 23 is secured (by means not shown in the drawings) to an upper pontion of each of the chains '22.

Each of the brackets 23 supports one or more longitudinal members 24, 24. The longitudinal members 24, 24' have secured thereto cartridges 25 corresponding in number to the number of spindles 15. Each of the cartridges 25 is disposed above a corresponding spindle 15 so that they have a common axis.

Each of the cartridges 25 contains an empty cop-former 26, the cop-former 26 being releasably held in the cartridge 25 by means of a resilient washer 27, secured to the cartridge 25. The internal diameter of the washer 27 is slightly less than the external diameter of the former 26, which passes through it. A displaceable cover 28, or alternatively, a plain covering disc is provided within the top portion of the cartridge 25, a spring 29 biasing the cover 28 away firom the top surface of the cartridge 25. The cover 28 and spring 29 act as a shock absorber for the cop-former 26.

To allow free access to the creel 30 during operation the bracket 23 is so disposed that the bank of cartridges 25 are at a higher level than the top of the creel 30.

The sequence of operations of the dofling device will now be described particularly with reference to FIG- URES 7 to 15. FIGURE 7 shows the position of one of the rings 14, spindles 15, brackets 23 and cartridges 25, when the spinning machine is ready to begin operating, the rest of these components being similarly disposed relative to one another.

Empty cop-formers 26 are placed in the associated brackets 23 (FIGURE 8) and the brackets 23 are lowered by means of the handle 21 and its associated components until the cop-formers 26 are introduced onto their respective spindles 15 (FIGURE 9). If the brackets are lowered to too great an extent the shock absorber comprising the cover 28 and the spring 29 contained in the cartridge 25 absorbs the excess force. When the brackets 23 are raised again, the cop-formers 26 are left on the spindles 15 since the clamping force of the spindles 15 on the cop-formers 26 is greater than the restraining force applied to the formers 26 by the resilient washer 27 contained in the cartridges 25. The spinning machine is then started and cops 31 are spun onto the cop-formers 3 26 retained on the spindles 15. Meanwhile the brackets 23 can be recharged with empty cop-formers 26. During these operations the boxes 9 remain at the bottom of the uprights 1 and rings 14 are inclined inwards towards the shafts 18 of the spindles 15, this-position being shown in FIGURE 1. When the cops 31 are complete the rings 14 are rotated by means of the handle 17 so that they are disposed co-axially above the cops 31 on the spindles 15 (FIGURES 10 and 11). The boxes 9 are then lowered by means of the handle 10 and its associated components so that the rings 14 pass over the cops 31 and the penetrating members 16 slide over the thread contained in the cops 31 (FIGURE 12). When the boxes 9 are raised the penetrating members 16 engage with the thread in the cops 31 and the rings 14 lift the cops 31 off the spindles 15. The handle 17 is then used to rotate the rings 14, now containing the cops 31, away from the spindles (FIGURE 13). The brackets 23 are now lowered again to place the new empty cop-formers 26 on the spindles 15 (FIGURE 14) and then raised again to receive more empty cop-formers 26. Cops 31 can again be wound on the spindles 15 and the completed cops 31 can then be removed from the rings 14 as described (FIGURE 15 may be replaced by other mechanical or electric driving means.

What I claim is: f

1. In a spinning or like textile machine of the kind comprising a plurality of parallel spindles arranged sideby-side in a row, a doffing device having a plurality of first members carried by a movable element extending parallel to said row, said first members being adapted releasably to retain cop formers, the first members being arranged upon displacement of said element to place cop formers on the spindles, said doffing device also having a plurality of second members and a first shaft arranged parallel to said row and carrying said second members, the second members being provided with cop engaging means and being movable upon displacement of said shaft in such manner that they can releasably engage and remove full cops from the spindles, the doffing device comprising further a plurality of uprights, boxes mounted for vertical movement on the uprights, said shaft being carried in said boxes and said movable element being mounted on the upper parts of the same uprights for movement along said upper parts, racks fixedto said uprights, each rack being aligned with the axis of the associated upright, gearwheels in said boxes meshing with said racks, and a second shaft connecting the gearwheels of the boxes whereby turning said second shaft in one direction moves the first shaft upwardly and turning said second shaft in the opposite direction moves the first shaft downwardly, the arrangement being such that in use cop formers are fitted to said first members when the movable element is at an elevated position, the movable element then being lowered to present the cop formers to the spindles, and the movable element being subsequently returned to said elevated position, the cop formers remaining on the spindles.

2. A dofing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second members are arranged in a line parallel to and spaced from the axis of the shaft, thearrangement being such that when the shaft is rotated in one direction the second members can be swupg downwardly to engage the full cops and upon rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction the second members can be swung upwardly to remove the cops from the spindles.

3. A dofling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gearwheel of each box is connected to said further shaft through an irreversible gear train.

4. A dofiing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a handle is provided for turning the first-mentioned shaft.

5. A doffing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a handle is provided for turning the further shaft.

6. A doffing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one upright has a first pinion at its upper end and a second pinion at its lower end, there being'a chain passed around the pinions and connected to said movable element, the arrangement being such that when the second pinion is driven in one direction the movable element and the first members carried thereby are moved downwardly and when the second pinion is driven in the opposite direction said movable element and said first members are moved upwardly.

7. A dofiing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each upright has a first pinion at its upper end and a second pinion at its lower end, there being a chain passed around the two pinions of each upright and connected to said movable element, the second pinions being connected by a spindle which when driven in one direction causes said movable element and said first members to be lowered and when driven in the opposite direction causes said movable element and said first members to be raised.

8. A doffing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a handle is provided for turning said spindle.

9. A dofiing device as claimedin claim 1, wherein each said second member takes the, form of a ring which can pass over a full cop, each ring being provided 'with upwardly and inwardly directed pointed members which are urged towards the centre of the ring and there being abutment means for. limiting the penetration of the pointed members into a full cop, the arrangement being such that when the rings are moved downwardly onto the cops the pointed members slide on the wound mass of thread and when the rings are lifted the pointed members penetrate the wound mass as far as the abutment means allow, the cops being pulled off the spindles and carried upwardly with the rings.

10. A doffing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each first member comprises an upright tubular cartridge open at its lower end to form a mouth the lip of which is provided with a resilient washer, and having in its upper end an abutment which is displaceable longitudinally within the cartridge, the abutment being springurged downwardly, the arrangement being such that to fit a cop former to the cartridge, .the cop former is entered upwardly through the mouth so that its upper end engages the displaceable abutment, the washer bearing on the side walls of the cop former.

Crane Jan. 8, 1918 Busquets et al June 26, 1956 

